No-intervention Control Group Research Articles

A Physically-Active Approach to Early Number Learning

This study evaluates the efficacy of a physically-active number learning game for young preschoolers. The intervention adapts Ramani and Siegler’s (Child Develop 79(2):375–394, 2008) successful The Great Race by modifying the mode of play from seated at a table to jumping with two feet on a large game mat. 75 children (mean age: 46 months) in the first year of a 2-year Title I preschool program were assessed in the fall on enumeration, verbal counting, cardinal principle knowledge (CPK), numeral recognition, and magnitude comparisons; children with a strong conceptual understanding of the cardinality principle were screened out (n = 11) of the intervention. 64 children were randomly assigned to the jumping game, the original seated game, or to a no-intervention control group. For the intervention, children met with an experimenter for four, 15–20-min sessions over a 3-week period and post-intervention assessments were completed 1 week later. All children completed a year-end assessment 5 months after the post-intervention assessment. Of the 64 children in the intervention group, 51 had complete data from all three time points. Repeated measures ANOVA and chi-square tests assessed the effectiveness of the intervention on children’s number knowledge and skills; models tested for the main effects of time and group and the interaction of time*group. Although all numeracy measures showed significant improvement over time, no differences between groups over time emerged. The absence of intervention effects is discussed in the context of intentionally aligning children’s number skills and knowledge with teacher practices and recent early numeracy interventions that target counting and set labelling.

Interpretation bias modification to reduce body dissatisfaction \u2013 a randomized controlled pilot study in women with elevated weight and shape concerns

BackgroundRecent research has identified several cognitive biases in patients with eating disorders, such as a tendency to interpret ambiguous information about one’s own body in a negative way. The so-called “negative interpretation bias” is considered to be a key factor in maintaining maladaptive cognitions and behaviors in eating disorders. Studies on modification of the negative interpretation bias in eating disorders have yielded mixed results. This randomized controlled pilot study examined whether a specially adapted, computerized version of the Scrambled Sentences Task modifies negative interpretation bias in women with elevated body dissatisfaction.MethodsThe sample consisted of 40 normal-weight women with elevated body dissatisfaction, randomly assigned either to an intervention or a no-intervention control group (each n = 20). The intervention group received six sessions (within two weeks) of a newly-developed interpretation bias modification training that involved unscrambling positively valenced, body image-related sentences. The control group received no intervention. In both groups, body image-related negative interpretation bias (main outcome), trait body dissatisfaction and thin-ideal cue reactivity were assessed at baseline and two weeks later. Additionally, in the intervention condition, the trajectory of expected reductions in the thin-ideal internalization was measured during each training session.ResultsIn both conditions, body image-related negative interpretation bias and trait body dissatisfaction decreased significantly from pre- to post-assessment; however, a specific effect imparted by the interpretation bias modification training was not found. Groups did not differ in thin-ideal cue reactivity. In the intervention group, thin-ideal internalization decreased significantly over the training sessions.ConclusionsThe findings do not support use of body image-related interpretation bias modification in its current form in the treatment of body dissatisfaction. Further research involving different versions of the training and clinical samples is warranted.

Increased dairy product consumption as part of a diet and exercise weight management program improves body composition in adolescent females with overweight and obesity-A randomized controlled trial.

Exercise can improve body composition in adolescents and adults with overweight/obesity. Consumption of dairy foods, as part of a healthy lifestyle program, can also promote favourable body composition changes in adults with overweight/obesity. However, the few studies examining these combined effects on body composition in adolescents are inconclusive. To determine whether increased dairy product consumption, as part of a lifestyle modification program featuring exercise training and dietary guidance promotes favourable body composition changes in adolescent females with overweight/obesity. Fifty-four participants (age: 14.8 ± 2.2y; BMI percentile: 95th ± 6) assigned to three groups completed the study. There were two experimental groups: recommended dairy (RDa; n = 24) and low dairy (LDa; n = 22), and a no-intervention control group (Con; n = 8). RDa and LDa participated in a 12-week, eucaloric, lifestyle modification intervention consisting of mixed-mode exercise (3x/week), and nutritional counselling. RDa was provided 4 servings/day of dairy foods, while LDa and Con maintained habitually low intakes (0-2 servings/day). Body weight/composition, waist/hip circumference, cardiovascular fitness and food intake were assessed at weeks 0 and 12. Weight did not significantly change in any group. RDa significantly decreased fat mass (FM) and increased lean mass (LM) more than LDa and Con (FM: -1.3 ± 2.1 kg, -1.1 ± 2.0 kg, 0.8 ± 1.8 kg; LM: 1.5 ± 1.9 kg, 0.7 ± 1.6 kg, 0.5 ± 1.4 kg, respectively). LDa also significantly decreased FM and increased LM more than Con (P < .005; all interactions). The inclusion of dairy foods in the diet of adolescent females with overweight/obesity, as part of a diet and exercise intervention, favourably improves body composition in the absence of weight loss.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of High-Intensity Exercise and Executive Functioning in Cognitively Normal Older Adults

BackgroundThere is a paucity of interventional research that systematically assesses the role of exercise intensity and cardiorespiratory fitness, and their relationship with executive function in older adults. To address this limitation, we have examined the effect of a systematically manipulated exercise intervention on executive function. MethodsNinety-nine cognitively normal participants (age = 69.10 ± 5.2 years; n = 54 female) were randomized into either a high-intensity cycle-based exercise, moderate-intensity cycle-based exercise, or no-intervention control group. All participants underwent neuropsychological testing and fitness assessment at baseline (preintervention), 6-month follow-up (postintervention), and 12-month postintervention. Executive function was measured comprehensively, including measures of each subdomain: Shifting, Updating/ Working Memory, Inhibition, Verbal Generativity, and Nonverbal Reasoning. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured by analysis of peak aerobic capacity; VO2peak. ResultsFirst, the exercise intervention was found to increase cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) in the intervention groups, in comparison to the control group (F =10.40, p≤0.01). However, the authors failed to find mean differences in executive function scores between the high-intensity, moderate intensity, or inactive control group. On the basis of change scores, cardiorespiratory fitness was found to associate positively with the executive function (EF) subdomains of Updating/Working Memory (β = 0.37, p = 0.01, r = 0.34) and Verbal Generativity (β = 0.30, p = 0.03, r = 0.28) for intervention, but not control participants. ConclusionAt the aggregate level, the authors failed to find evidence that 6-months of high-intensity aerobic exercise improves EF in older adults. However, it remains possible that individual differences in experimentally induced changes in cardiorespiratory fitness may be associated with changes in Updating/ Working Memory and Verbal Generativity.

Activación Conductual en formato grupal para ansiedad y depresión. Una revisión sistemática

Dada la alta prevalencia de los Trastornos Mentales Comunes (TMC), la aplicación grupal de la Activación Conductual (AC) puede ser un abordaje eficaz, efectivo y más eficiente. El objetivo del presente trabajo es revisar los estudios publicados sobre la utilidad de la AC grupal para el tratamiento de la ansiedad y/o depresión. Método: Revisión sistemática. Resultados: Se incluyeron 17 estudios. Los pacientes que recibieron AC experimentaron mejoras en ansiedad y/o depresión y se informa de una mayor eficacia de AC frente a grupos control sin intervención. Conclusiones: La AC es útil para la prevención y el tratamiento de trastornos emocionales. No obstante, la heterogeneidad y limitaciones de los estudios impiden determinar los ingredientes terapéuticos exactos, y si éstos son específicos del enfoque y procedimiento de esta terapia. Sería necesario más investigación, de mayor calidad metodológica, y que evalúe los cambios en los patrones de activación/evitación objeto de intervención.

Quantifying the Difference between Active and Passive Control Groups in Cognitive Interventions Using two Meta-Analytical Approaches.

Despite promising reports of broad cognitive benefit in studies of cognitive training, it has been argued that the reliance of many studies on no-intervention control groups (passive controls) make these reports difficult to interpret because placebo effects cannot be ruled out. Although researchers have recently been trying to incorporate more active controls, in which participants engage in an alternate intervention, previous work has been contentious as to whether this actually yields meaningfully different results. To better understand the influence of passive and active control groups on cognitive interventions, we conducted two meta-analyses to estimate their relative effect sizes. While the first one broadly surveyed the literature by compiling data from 34 meta-analyses, the second one synthesized data from 42 empirical studies that simultaneously employed both types of controls. Both analyses showed no meaningful performance difference between passive and active controls, suggesting that current active control placebo paradigms might not be appropriately designed to reliably capture these non-specific effects or that these effects are minimal in this literature.

Effects of Biopsychosocial Education on the Clinical Judgments of Medical Students and GP Trainees Regarding Future Risk of Disability in Chronic Lower Back Pain: A Randomized Control Trial.

Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) is a major health care burden and often results in workplace absenteeism. It is a priority for appropriate management of CLBP to get individuals back to work as early as possible. Interventions informed by the flags approach, which integrates cognitive and behavioral approaches via identification of biopsychosocial barriers to recovery, have resulted in reduced pain-related work absences and increased return to work for individuals with CLBP. However, research indicates that physicians' adherence to biopsychosocial guidelines is low. The current study examined the effects of a flags approach-based educational intervention on clinical judgments of medical students and general practitioner (GP) trainees regarding the risk of future disability of CLBP patients. Randomized controlled trial (trial registration number: ISRCTN53670726). University classroom. Medical students and GP trainees. Using 40 fictional CLBP cases, differences in clinical judgment accuracy, weighting, and speed (experimental N = 32) were examined pre- and postintervention, as were flags approach knowledge, pain attitudes and beliefs, and empathy, in comparison with a no-intervention control group (control N = 31). Results revealed positive effects of the educational intervention on flags approach knowledge, pain-related attitudes and beliefs, and judgment weighting of psychologically based cues; results are discussed in light of existing theory and research. Short flags approach-based educational video interventions on clinical judgment-making regarding the risk of future disability of CLBP patients may provide opportunities to gain biopsychosocial knowledge, overcome associated attitude barriers, and facilitate development of clinical judgment-making more aligned with psychological cues.

EFFECTS OF MINDFUL FELDENKRAIS EXERCISES AND STRENGTH TRAINING ON COGNITIVE EXECUTIVE FUNCTION IN OLDER ADULTS

Decline in cognitive function associated with aging is one of the greatest concerns of older adults and often leads to significant burden for individuals, families, and the health care system. This 3-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) responds to the urgent need to identify strategies which can enhance and/or maintain cognitive vitality in older adults. The study is funded by the National Institute on Aging, and aims to examine the effects of both the mind-body exercise Feldenkrais and strength training on cognitive executive function in independent living older adults (N=90) age 65 to 85. Participants of the first wave (n=45) were randomized to a (1) Feldenkrais group, (2) strength training and (3) no-intervention control group. Intervention groups met twice a week for 12 weeks. Cognitive and physical performance measures of the NIH-Toolbox were used at baseline, post-intervention and at a 3-month follow-up. Results of changes in cognitive executive functions within and across groups will be presented. The findings will suggest if such interventions would be a viable low-cost option for older adults to maintain cognitive vitality and thereby impact the development of programs and guidelines for combatting decline in cognitive function.

Rational emotive intervention for stress management among english education undergraduates: Implications for school curriculum innovation.

Background/objective:Different studies have shown the prevalence of high level of stress among undergraduate students. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) as a stress management intervention among English Education undergraduates in Universities in Southeastern Nigeria.Method:The study adopted a group randomized trial design. One hundred sixteen samples of English education undergraduates (with a high level of perceived stress) took part in the study. These students were randomly assigned to groups – intervention group(n = 58) and no-intervention control group (n = 58). The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) was used for data collection. The collected data were analyzed using 2-way mixed repeated measure ANOVA and independent sample t test at 0.05 probability level.Result:Results showed that an REBT program significantly reduced the stress among English education undergraduates in the intervention group compared to the students in the control group as measured by PSS-14. Also, the English education undergraduates who benefited from the REBT program maintained the reduction in stress after 3 months when the researchers conducted a follow-up.Conclusion:REBT program can be used to equip undergraduate students with the necessary skills to manage stress. The implications for curriculum innovation were highlighted.

Mindfulness Training, Implicit Bias, and Force Response Decision-making.

The goal of this study was to assess the preliminary efficacy of a Mindfulness-Based Training (Mindfulness-based Resilience Training; MBRT) in improving weapon identification among Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs). Participants (N = 61) were randomly assigned to either MBRT or a no-intervention control group (NIC). A self-report questionnaire assessing mindfulness and a computerized measure assessing implicit stereotype reliance were administered at baseline, post-training, and three months following intervention completion. We also collected information about meditation practice outside of the training for LEOs in the MBRT group. Inferential analyses yielded improvements in mindfulness in the MBRT group compared to NIC. Analyses did not provide evidence for implicit stereotype reliance at baseline and therefore did not yield a significant impact of MBRT versus NIC on implicit stereotype reliance, ps > .05; however, participants across both conditions exerted more control when responding to Black male targets compared to White male targets, F(1,74) = 3.98, p = .05, 95% CI [-.05, -.01], d = .36. Our results do not provide evidence for the impact of MBRT on weapon identification, but do suggest that LEOs exerted more effort when responding to images of Black males compared to White males. We discuss recommendations for future clinical trials assessing implicit stereotype reliance, viz., that researchers utilize measures more sensitive to a wider range of LEO samples and with higher ecological validity, and we discuss potential reasons why our results do not align with past research.

Physical activity programs for balance and fall prevention in elderly: A systematic review.

Background:Due to demographic changes the world's population is progressively ageing. The physiological decay of the elderly adult may lead to a reduction in the ability to balance and an increased risk of falls becoming an important issue among the elderly. In order to counteract the decay in the ability to balance, physical activity has been proven to be effective. The aim of this study is to systematically review the scientific literature in order to identify physical activity programs able to increase balance in the elderly.Methods:This review is based on the data from Medline-NLM, Pubmed, ScienceDirect, and SPORTDiscuss and includes randomized control trials that have analyzed balance and physical activity in healthy elderly over 65 years of age during the last decade. A final number of 8 manuscripts were included in the qualitative synthesis, which comprised 200 elderly with a mean age of 75.1 ± 4.4 years. The sample size of the studies varied from 9 to 61 and the intervention periods from 8 to 32 weeks.Results:Eight articles were considered eligible and included in the quantitative synthesis. The articles investigated the effects of resistance and aerobic exercise, balance training, T-bow© and wobble board training, aerobic step and stability ball training, adapted physical activity and Wii Fit training on balance outcomes. Balance measures of the studies showed improvements between 16% and 42% compared to baseline assessments.Conclusions:Balance is a multifactorial quality that can be effectively increased by different exercise training means. It is fundamental to promote physical activity in the aging adult, being that a negative effect on balance performance has been seen in the no-intervention control groups.

Intervention for burnout among English education undergraduates: implications for curriculum innovation.

Background/Objective:The present study investigated the effect of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) intervention on burnout among English education undergraduates in southeastern Nigeria.Method:The study adopted a randomized controlled trial design. A total of 96 English education undergraduates with high burnout symptoms in the participating universities took part in the study. These were randomly assigned to groups – intervention group (n = 48) and control group (n = 48). The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory for students (OLBI-S) was used for data collection. The collected data were analyzed using 2-way mixed repeated measure ANOVA at .05 probability level.Result:Results showed that the REBT program significantly reduced the burnout level among English education undergraduates in the intervention group compared to the students in the no-intervention control group as measured by the OLBI-S subscales. Also, the students who benefited from the REBT program maintained reduced burnout levels when the researchers conducted a follow-up.Conclusion:Given the present finding, the REBT program is an effective intervention for preventing and managing burnout among students. The present study has important curriculum innovation implications as far as English education is concerned especially in the Nigerian context. This intervention program can be included in the students’ curriculum activities so as to equip the students with necessary therapeutic skills to manage burnout symptoms presently and in the future.

The Effect of Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy Using Art as a Medium on Depressive Symptoms and HIV Antiretroviral Medication Adherence

The prevalence of HIV in Thailand continues to increase, especially among men who have sex with other men (MSM). Being stigmatized can result in depression, which can negatively impact antiretroviral medication adherence. This quasi-experimental research study aimed to examine the effects of cognitive-behavioral group therapy using art as a medium on depressive symptoms and medication adherence. Forty-six MSM were assigned (23 × 2) either to a weekly 2-h art-based CBGT group session for a total of 8 weeks or to a no-intervention control group. The experimental group of 23 met in 4 separate small groups. Pre-intervention period analyses indicated no significant differences between the two groups in the key variables examined, together with demographic information including the participants’ ages, education levels, and CD4 (T cells) levels. Measures of depressive symptoms and antiretroviral medication adherence were administered pre- and post-intervention. Using MANOVA, findings suggested that depressive symptom scores among the intervention group were reduced significantly post-treatment (p < .01) and were significantly lower than those of the control group (p < .001). Scores among the experimental group for medication adherence increased significantly pre- to post-treatment (p < .025); however, post-treatment scores were not significantly different between the experimental and control groups. These findings provide initial evidence for the potential effectiveness of art-based CBGT in alleviating depressive symptoms and enhancing antiretroviral medication adherence in MSM with HIV.

Modelling long-term cost-effectiveness of health promotion for community-dwelling older people

The effectiveness of health promotion for community-dwelling older people is well documented; however, there is a general lack of health economic evaluations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate long-term cost-effectiveness over 4 years of two health promoting interventions: senior meetings and a preventive home visit, for community-dwelling older people in relation to no intervention. We applied a Markov model including five states defined in relation to level of dependency of home help and place of residency. The model included transitions between dependency states, scores for quality of life and societal costs for each state, intervention costs and intervention effects for two formats of health promoting interventions. For each intervention and a no-intervention control group, we calculated the accumulated quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and societal costs over 4 years. Sensitivity analyses included higher intervention costs, lower intervention effects and additional intervention costs and effects related to booster sessions. The results of all analyses indicated that health promotion implemented for community-dwelling older people in the format of senior meetings or a preventive home visit was cost-effective. Both interventions lead to QALY gains and reduce societal costs at any follow-up over 4 years, and thus, resources can be used to implement other interventions. The most important factor for the magnitude of QALY gains and cost savings was the intervention effect. Yearly booster sessions implemented for those persons who maintained their level of functioning extended the intervention effects adding additional QALYs and further reducing societal costs.

High intensity exercise for 3 months reduces disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA): a multicentre randomised trial of 100 patients

BackgroundExercise is considered important in the management of patients with rheumatic diseases, but the effect of high intensity exercises on disease activity is unknown.ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of high intensity...

A brief mindfulness intervention reduces depression, increases nonjudgment, and speeds processing of emotional and neutral stimuli

Anxiety and mood disorders are common in university students but most students are not receiving treatment. The university setting presents a unique opportunity to provide interventions for at-risk students who may not otherwise seek services. Mindfulness interventions have been successfully adapted for use with individuals reporting symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other forms of psychological distress. The present quasi-experimental study addressed whether non-treatment-seeking university students screened for moderate-to-high levels of distress would benefit from a brief mindfulness intervention relative to a control group. Participants completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, distress, and mindfulness as well as a dot-probe measure of processing of emotional and neutral information before and after a mindfulness or no-intervention control group. As expected, anhedonic depression symptoms and judging of experiences decreased in the mindfulness but not control group. Also consistent with prediction, the mindfulness group showed reaction time evidence of “even-handed” facilitated processing of all stimuli (pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant) within a dot-probe task from pre- to post-intervention. Psychological distress, anxious arousal, and worry decreased, and several facets of self-reported mindfulness increased in both groups. Results indicate that a brief mindfulness intervention may be helpful for non-treatment-seeking university students in decreasing anhedonic depression symptoms, judgment of experiences, and encouraging facilitated processing of emotional and neutral information. Implications for using brief mindfulness interventions in early intervention and prevention efforts with university students are discussed.

On-the-Spot Binaural Beats and Mindfulness Reduces Behavioral Markers of Mind Wandering

The experience of a wandering mind is common for most people, and it has been estimated that mind wandering occupies up to 46% of our thoughts during the day. There are recent studies showing entrainment effects leading to a decrease in mind wandering. However, it is not clear if there are state-dependent interventions that may provide a reduction of mind wandering. The main aim of the current study was to investigate in a university student population whether laboratory evidence of mind wandering can be reduced through two on-the-spot interventions; mindfulness meditation for 15 min (n = 25) and binaural auditory beats for a duration of 15 min (n = 27) relative to a no-intervention control group (n = 25). We measured levels of mind wandering at baseline across the three groups and after the 15-min interventions using the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). The results indicate that a short-term or on-the-spot mindfulness session for 15 min is successful in significantly reducing laboratory evidence of mind wandering. However, more surprisingly, we found that 15 min of auditory binaural beats also lead to a significant reduction of mind wandering, whereas the control group did not result in differences. We did not observe differences in mind wandering across the three groups at baseline or differences in stress levels across groups. The present outcomes are discussed in terms of the potential of using auditory binaural beats relative to mindfulness as a way to enhance cognitive control.

Complaint-Directed Mini-Interventions for Depressive Symptoms: A Health Economic Evaluation of Unguided Web-Based Self-Help Interventions Based on a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundDepression prevention and early intervention have become a top priority in the Netherlands, but with considerable room for improvement. To address this, Web-based complaint-directed mini-interventions (CDMIs) were developed. These brief and low-threshold interventions focus on psychological stress, sleep problems, and worry, because these complaints are highly prevalent, are demonstrably associated with depression, and have substantial economic impact.ObjectiveThe objective of this economic evaluation was to examine the added value of Web-based, unguided, self-help CDMIs compared with a wait-listed control group with unrestricted access to usual care from both a societal and a health care perspective.MethodsThis health economic evaluation was embedded in a randomized controlled trial. The study entailed 2 arms, in which 3 Web-based CDMIs were compared with a no-intervention waiting-list control group (which received the intervention after 3 months). We conducted measurements at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months. The primary outcome was the rate of responders to treatment on depressive symptoms as measured by the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report (IDS-SR). We estimated change in quality of life by calculating effect sizes (Cohen d) for individual pre- and posttreatment IDS-SR scores using a conversion factor to map a change in standardized effect size onto a corresponding change in utility. We calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios using bootstraps (5000 times) of seemingly unrelated regression equations and constructed cost-effectiveness acceptability curves for the costs per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained.ResultsOf 329 study participants, we randomly assigned 165 to the CDMI group. At 3 months, the rate of responders to treatment was 13.9% (23/165) in the CDMI group and 7.3% (12/164) in the control group. At 3 months, participants in the CDMI group gained 0.15 QALYs compared with baseline, whereas participants in the control group gained 0.03 QALYs. Average total costs per patient at 3 months were €2094 for the CDMI group and €2230 for the control group (excluding baseline costs). Bootstrapped seemingly unrelated regression equations models resulted in a dominant incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ie, lower costs and a higher rate of responders to treatment) for the CDMI group compared with the control group at 3 months, with the same result for the costs per QALY gained. Various sensitivity analyses attested to the robustness of the findings of the main analysis.ConclusionsBrief and low-threshold Web-based, unguided, self-help CDMIs have the potential to be a cost-effective addition to usual care for adults with mild to moderate depressive symptoms. The CDMIs improved health status, while reducing participant health care costs, and hence dominated the care-as-usual control condition. As intervention costs were relatively low, and the internet is readily available in the Western world, we believe CDMIs can be easily implemented on a large scale.Trial RegistrationNetherlands Trial Register NTR4612; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=4612 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6n4PVYddM)

Effect of rational emotive behavior therapy on stress management and irrational beliefs of special education teachers in Nigerian elementary schools.

Background/Objective:From a rational emotive behavior therapy viewpoint, stress-related disorders originate from irrational beliefs and self-defeating philosophies and attitude. Individuals affected by stress are different from those ones with neurotic problems mainly because the stressed individuals have irrational beliefs about specific, short-term, or more readily identifiable events, in contrast to the more mundane and diffuse difficulties faced by neurotic persons. The present study aimed to examine the impact of a rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) intervention on the stress levels and irrational beliefs among special education teachers in elementary schools in Nigeria.Methods:We employed a group randomized controlled trial design for this study. Eighty six participants recruited from elementary schools in the South-eastern part of the country were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (n = 43) or no-intervention control group (n = 43). We used the REBT Stress Management Manual to conduct the intervention. Stress levels and irrational beliefs were assessed using self-report questionnaires. Participants in the treatment group took part in the REBT program for 12 weeks and a follow-up program for 2 weeks. Analysis of the data was completed through a 2 × 3 within × between-subjects repeated measures analysis of variance, and independent samples t test.Results:Results showed that the REBT group experienced a significant mean decline in stress levels and their beliefs shifted to rational ones both at post-treatment and follow-up. In contrast, the participants in the no-intervention control group showed no improvements at either posttreatment or follow-up sessions.Conclusion:Rational-emotive behavior therapy is an effective therapeutic modality that can be applied by REBT clinicians for the management of stress. Additional clinical assessments will be necessary to further confirm the impact of an REBT intervention on teachers’ stress management and irrational beliefs in Nigerian elementary school setting.

Effect of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Program on Depressive Symptoms Among University Students with Blindness in Nigeria

Depressive symptoms are frequently observed among individuals with vision loss. Exposing university students with blindness to a variety of rational emotive skills that would enable them to manage depression and depressive symptoms could be an important avenue to make them feel less depressed and become more energetic to successfully cope with their academic life. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of group-based rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) intervention on depressive symptoms among selected university students with blindness in Nigeria. To assess the efficacy, a group randomized controlled trial design was employed. Participants (N = 65) recruited from universities in Southeast zone of Nigeria were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 33) and no-intervention control groups (n = 32) after meeting the study inclusionary criteria. REBT Depression Manual was used for the delivery of the intervention while depression was evaluated using Beck Depression Inventory-II. Students in the treatment group took part in the group-based REBT program for a period of 12 weeks and thereafter, a 2-week follow-up meeting, twice per week was done after 2 months of the intervention. All sessions lasted for about 60 min each. Data obtained were analyzed using a 2 × 3 within × between-subjects ANOVA with repeated measures, independent samples t test and paired samples t-test. The study revealed that in comparison to the no-intervention control group, the REBT group had significant reduction in their depression scores both at post-treatment and follow-up evaluations, but no such changes were seen in the control group. Given that an REBT program led to the significant reduction in depression among students with blindness, the implication is that depressive thinking, beliefs, and feelings can be surmounted in this special need population through the application of REBT evidence-based techniques.